Read a full match report for the Premier League game between Chelsea and Stoke
City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, April 5, 2014

“You have to adapt. If I go to a wedding I don’t go in jeans, right?” Jose Mourinho said. But if you play a Stoke City side that is safe from relegation and in danger of switching off – as manager Mark Hughes admitted after this insipid performance – then you can afford to turn up in carpet slippers.

Ahead of Paris St-Germain this was a PSG performance for Chelsea: a Pretty Straightforward Game. But it was a perfect run-out for Mourinho’s players before Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg.

Chelsea had better not turn up in jeans for that one – Mourinho’s analogy was about how they had arrived mentally ill equipped for last Saturday’s defeat away to Crystal Palace – as it will be an occasion for best bib and tucker. Suited and booted or Chelsea will be booted out.

There was a bit of booting, or at least seemed to be with Charlie Adam again appearing to demonstrate an uncanny ability to catch his opponent late as André Schürrle found out to his cost as the Scot stood on the top of his foot.

But Mourinho was not going to engage with that. “I like aggressive football and I can’t go inside the player’s brain to make the decision whether the intention was to hurt or not to hurt,” he said dismissively.

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The Portuguese did not want to pick a fight, and Hughes was equally emphatic. He had not seen the incident and no one had brought it to his intention. Maybe the Football Association will take a look at it.

This was emphatically restorative for Chelsea who, almost apologetically, also returned to the top of the Premier League – at least until the final whistle today at Upton Park.

But Chelsea are still fighting at the top despite the sense of despondency that Mourinho has projected of late in his attacks on his attackers. Fernando Torres again drew a blank – and the kind of backhand praise that must hurt a £50 million striker.

“As normally, he gave everything he can,” Mourinho said damningly. “A pity he did not score a goal because strikers need goals. But he participated; he worked hard.”

And he should have scored. His biggest moment came with the game goalless. Foolishly Erik Pieters attempted to chest the ball to Asmir Begovic and it dropped short. Torres reacted quickly to gain possession but his shot was quickly smothered by Begovic from close-range.

Mourinho’s face, as he sank back into his seat, betrayed his frustration. Later he was sanguine. “We deserved the three points and go back to victories,” he said. “Important for the Premier League but one thing is to start the match on Tuesday after another defeat, the other is to start with a victory.”

Chelsea are at home then also. Despite their problems away from Stamford Bridge, it is five league victories in a row and 17 unanswered goals. PSG will be aware of that.

Mourinho rested Oscar; rested Eden Hazard, who came on as a second-half substitute; and gave a chance to January signing Mohamed Salah to make his full debut and shine – and he did, claiming his second goal for the club with aplomb.

There was also another goal for Frank Lampard, a landmark one at that, his 250th in club football, although his penalty kick, after substitute Andy Wilkinson had scythed down Salah, was saved. Lampard hammered home the rebound with Begovic grounded.

That doubled Chelsea’s advantage and, frankly, it was game over. But then it had been game over from the moment they had taken the lead, which came after Nemanja Matic had cleverly rolled Geoff Cameron from a throw-in and crossed low. Salah’s confident, powerful first-time shot skimmed off Begovic’s boot and into the net.

“We did not ask enough questions of a good Chelsea team who did not have to get out of second gear to take the game away from us,” Hughes later lamented before saying he would “address” it if his players were switching off.

Stoke were curiously flat having attempted to start brightly. But nothing happened for them. Nothing. Instead it was simply a question of how many more Chelsea would score. There was just the one more with Hazard involved, as he had been for the penalty, sliding a pass to Salah who moved it on to Willian.

Wilkinson was again culpable, standing off the Brazilian who strolled on, shifted the ball and curled his right-footed shot around the defender and high beyond Begovic.

There was a late appearance for a heavily-bearded Ashley Cole, brought on in left midfield. It was his first game since Jan 11 – the last time Torres scored in the league – while Mourinho even fielded post-match questions on John Terry’s future.

“The club want him to stay, he wants to stay, so normally he stays,” Mourinho said of the prospect of the defender agreeing a new contract when his current deal expires. It sounded straightforward enough. A bit like this fixture.